Obama administration orders aid for NC after rains

The Obama administration has ordered that federal assistance be made available for some North Carolina counties affected by heavy summer rains.

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration calling for federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides in July.

The counties affected by the declaration are Ashe, Avery, Catawba, Lincoln, Watauga, and Wilkes.

In September, the president made funding available for Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Watauga, and Yancey counties, plus the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, because of damage from the rains.

At that time, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said additional designations may be made later if requested by the state and warranted by further damage assessments.